Untitled
by x.snow
Summary: She was simply in the wrong place, at the right time. ItaSaku
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The pair of small hands clutched the wrapped box. Her footsteps were hesitant, pausing every once in a while. When she spotted the dark figure down the dimly lit street, her clamy hands squeezed the box even harder.

"You can do this. You can't let Ino-pig beat you. You'll prove to her that you're not a scaredy cat!" The girl mumbled to herself. She glanced at the present in her hands and took a deep breath. She picked up her pace to catch up to the person in front of her. "Sasuke-kun!"

The boy stopped in his path and turned around, his onyx orbs blending in with the dark sky. The girl smiled wide and ran towards him. Her feet stopped inches from him, and her large emerald eyes stared at his dark ones. She turned to the cold ground out of nervousness, squeezing the present in her hands until the box became deformed. She took another deep breath, and looked up with determination, only to see the boy walking away.

"Wait! Sasuke-kun!" This time, he didn't stop. Rather, he walked faster and began to run, as if suddenly remembering that it's past his curfew. "Sasuke-kun! Wait for me! I want to talk to you!" When he suddenly stopped, the girl's small body bumped into his. She rubbed her large forehead and frowned. "Why did you..."

The girl inched over to see past him. In that moment, the distorted box fell onto the ground and her lips parted in shock.

There was so much blood.

Feeling nauseous at the sight of the blood stained roads and walls, she didn't realize when the boy ran into the compound, leaving her alone at the gates. The girl peeked her eyes open again, making sure that she wasn't hallucinating. When she saw that everything was real, her small feet stumbled and took off unconsciously. By the time she realized that she was running away, the girl found herself amidst shadows of large trees. She looked around, and concluded that she was completely lost.

"Okaa-san... Otou-san... I'm scared..." The girl sat down and hugged her knees. The images of the bloody bodies wouldn't go away. She shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the thoughts. "Sasuke-kun..." She cried harder, the salty liquid soaking through her sleeves.

Through her blurry vision, the girl saw a pair of feet stop in front of her. She looked up, seeing a dark silhouette staring down at her. Her shaking body instinctively backed away.

"Sasu...ke... kun...?" A sigh of relief was brought to her lips when she saw the familiar black hair. However, when she looked harder, she knew that Sasuke didn't have those scarlet red eyes. "You're not Sasuke-kun... W-Who are you..." Her eyes trailed down to his chest, and finally saw the bloody katana in his grip. "Blood..."

Letting out a blood-curdling scream, the girl fell into a world of darkness.

* * *

"It's not like you to pick up a stray kitty." The masked nin nudged the small body curled on the ground. He leaned closer when the pools of emerald opened slowly, squinting to see clearer. When the girl saw the stranger, she crawled away on her knees pathetically, hugging her knees and shaking in a corner of the room. "What's your name?"

"Where am I..." She felt the tears blurring her vision once again. She looked around the plain room made of stone. It was so icily cold, sending shivers down her spine. She hugged her knees closer to her.

"Why did you bring her?" The masked nin turned to the other side of the room. Realizing that there was another person in the room, the girl followed his gaze and found a pair of bloody red eyes, glowing in the darkness.

"Blood... The katana... You killed Sasuke-kun's family..." The girl pointed accusingly, backing away more into the corner until her body pressed against the walls. "Are you going to kill me...? Don't kill me..." She begged, letting the tears fall freely.

"She saw us." The man with scarlet eyes finally spoke softly. In contrast to his cold gaze, his words were smooth and polite, giving off an aura that says he was brought up in a well-mannered family. The girl continued crying, ignoring the conversation.

"Why didn't you get rid of her, like the rest of your clan. Seems like this little pet you brought is quite annoying. Let's kill her so she'll stop crying." The masked nin once again turned back to the girl, walking towards her slowly as if mocking her fear. She tried to back away more, but found the walls stopping her. Her small body shook, frozen in fear. "What a pity, she is quite cute."

"No... Sasuke-kun's family... YOU MURDERERS!" As if a surge of courage and anger rushed through her, the girl grabbed a kunai from her new weapon pouch, running towards the other side of the room. She stared into the pools of scarlet, for the first time feeling a raw emotion called hate.

The girl froze in her spot when the air changed, and images of the massacre flashed through her head. As if in the murderer's point of view, the katana in her hand swung down and ruthlessly slaughtered the men, the women, and even the children. Blood tainted the walls and floors. Unable to control her body, her feet took her into a house, mercilessly slaughtering the couple sitting in the middle of the room. Through her eyes, she saw a familiar face run into the room, staring wide-eyed at the man and woman laying on the floor, drowning in their own blood. His eyes turned in her direction, filled with pure horror.

The scenes suddenly paused, rewinded, and played repeatedly for what seemed like an eternity. Like a broken record with no Stop button.

"Stop... Stop... STOP!" The girl screamed at the top of her lungs, clutching her head. As if to block out the images, she felt her body weaken, until she finally fell to the floor, unconscious.

"How cruel, Itachi." The masked man mumbled sinisterly, a smirk plastered on his hidden features. "Aren't you being a little too harsh?"

"You feel her potential, don't you. She is an excellent genjutsu type and has expert chakra control as well. A non-Sharingan user, especially at her age, wouldn't have been able to last so long in Tsukuyomi and only faint as a result." The man named Itachi explained, his eyes planted on the body curled on the ground. "She will be a powerful kunoichi if trained properly."

"Are you saying we should keep her alive? You're too soft for your own good." The masked man asked, eyeing the girl as well. "Very well. She will be your responsibilty then." Turning back to the Sharingan user, he grabbed a cloak and threw it at him. Itachi caught it effortlessly, and looked at the ring in his hand that came along with the cloak. It was a red ring, with the word 'Scarlet' inscribed onto it. "You will stay here for a month, until the Hokage suppresses the commotion after the massacre."

With that, the masked man disappeared from the room.

The Sharingan user sat there silently in the darkness with the unconscious girl laying several feet away.

* * *

A/N: Hello! I thought it would be fun to play with the plot of my favorite anime, so this is the result!

For the few of you who might have read Sacrifice before it was deleted, you'll find that this story is similar in its tone, and some parts are almost identical. So if you enjoyed Sacrifice, I think you'll definitely enjoy this story~

I want to put a big **WARNING** sign because this fanfic will contain a lot of **SPOILERS****  
**

Lastly, thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated, but as long as one person enjoys this story, I will be very very satisfied! :)


	2. 01

**01**

Sakura jumped in the middle of the clearing, eight kunais held between her fingers. She closed her eyes, and threw the kunais in all directions. When she landed and heard the sound of eight kunais embedding into their targets, a smirk of victory crept onto her features. She looked to the other side of the clearing, where her teacher stood leaning against a tree casually.

"A shinobi should never be over-confident of his skills." Were the only words he spoke without bothering to open his eyes. "You missed one."

"No way! I heard all eight of them!" The kunoichi refuted, going around to check the targets. When she reached the last one, indeed, the kunai missed the target by several inches. "Shannaro…"

"A shinobi should never reveal his emotions." He mumbled, turning to walk away. "That's enough for today."

"You preach like an old man... Wait until I beat you one day." She muttered under her breath, stuffing the kunais into her weapon pouch.

"A shinobi should never underestimate his opponents." The voice rang in her ears. She blinked, seeing the figure disappear and reappear next to her. "If I were an enemy, you might've been dead."

"But you're not. If you haven't killed me in three years, I think I'll be fine for another while." Sakura sent him a playful glare. "Let me go on your next mission with you!"

"Patience is the key. If you try to rush, the only person you will hurt is yourself." A large hand patted her head, as if mocking the height difference between them. She glared daggers at him, but knew that she wouldn't be able to touch a hair on his head even if she tried.

"Why couldn't they assign me as your partner? I'm not as strong as you, but definitely not weak either." Sakura changed the subject as they walked back to the hideout. This was at least the hundredth time she asked this question. "But I guess sharky is better than that bastard snake." There was flame in her eyes as she remembered the snake sannin who defected after attempting to take over Itachi's body.

"Your skills are impressive for your age." He said mindlessly, ignoring her first question. She sighed, knowing that it was as close to a compliment as she could get.

Sakura looked up at the person walking beside her, his cold gaze never changing since the first time they met.

* * *

_"Get away from me, you murderer!" The young girl screamed. She stared at the person standing at the door with hatred. He didn't seem affected by her constant outbursts, and walked in. As he got closer, she grabbed a kunai and gripped it tightly within her shaking hand. Itachi looked at her pathetic stance boredly, putting down the onigiri next to her. "Stay away! I don't want food from your dirty hands!" Her short arm reached out and swept the plate off the table. She flinched when she heard the porcelain hit the ground and shattered into pieces._

_"If you want to kill me, shouldn't you make sure that you have enough energy?" He asked calmly, reaching out and grabbing the kunai effortlessly from her grasp. "How can you kill me if you can't even hold onto your weapon?" With a flick of his wrist, the kunai flew across the room and embedded itself into the stone walls. His intimidating gaze never left her. "If you really want to get revenge for the people I have killed, then you wouldn't be wasting your time and energy on crying. You should take the opportunity to train with me, learn from me, and observe my weaknesses."_

_The girl turned away from his eyes, remembering what happened the last time she looked into them. She heard the door click shut as he walked out. Eyeing the food on the ground, tears brimmed her eyes once again._

_"I will kill that murderer... Sasuke-kun... Watch me... I'll take revenge for you..." She choked through her tears. She reached out to the two riceballs on the ground. Unaffected by the fact that they were on the dirty floor, the girl stuffed them into her mouth as if she's never eaten before._

* * *

Before the fight even started, Sakura knew that it was over. Sighing in boredom, the kunoichi looked at the defeated blonde across the large room.

She had been so excited to go on this mission. It was the first time that she received an official Akatsuki cloak and was able to indulge in the warmth of this sinfully beautiful black cloth painted with red clouds. When she saw that they met up with another member, an ugly mass named Sasori, she figured that it must've been a dangerous mission. The thrill and excitement only piled up.

But who knew it was just to recruit a member to replace Orochimaru.

At first glance, Sakura knew that this new member, named Deidara, wasn't going to be on good terms with her. His constant rants about his explosive art and his stubborn personality made him vulgar and easily irritated. For a short minute, she found satisfaction when he fell to his knees after looking into Itachi's eyes boldly.

It was laughable how naive he was to believe that he could win against those eyes.

"You seem to be disappointed by this mission." The shark nin commented as the group made their way towards one of the many hideouts. Sakura had an emotionless mask over her annoyance, and glanced at the blonde explosive user. He felt her gaze, and sent her a glare.

She definitely wasn't going to like him.

"The leader said we have to stay together for a week to make sure our new addition will not betray us." Sasori commented with his freakishly low voice, seemingly irritated by the matter. The kunoichi took a quick look at the big mass, wondering if that was his true form.

When they finally reached their home for the next week, the five sat around the kitchen table.

"Welcome to the group, kid. I'm Hoshigaki Kisame." The shark nin gave his trademark toothy smirk. The blonde snorted in reply, too busy glaring daggers at the Sharingan user. It seems like he was still bitter about losing so quickly to a pair of eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi." The velvet-like voice said, his eyes staring at the walls rather than the other four.

"Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you." She added, mimicking Itachi's tone.

"Sasori. You will be my partner from now on." With the last person introduced, the five dispersed into their own rooms, calling it an end to their conversation.

Akatsuki had always been an organization where not many words were exchanged. Most of the members disliked each other. However, when it comes to missions, differences were thrown aside and the teams functioned perfectly.

Everyone here was incredibly strong.

* * *

_"Get up." The battered girl panted, pushing her weakened knees to support her body. Dirt and sweat covered her skin and clothing, and her long pink bangs framed her thin face. "Let hate be your source of energy. Gain power, and defeat me."_

_Sakura reached out for the tree next to her, using it as a support. She sent the figure standing several feet away a death glare._

_"Look into my eyes." For the fifth time, the girl grabbed her weapons and charged at him. She stared straight into his eyes and threw the weapons with deathly precision. In less a blink, she felt the air change the slightest as her weapons hit their target dead on. She smirked. He wasn't going to trick her with this technique again._

_"KAI!" The young girl formed a seal and dispelled the genjutsu. The last kunai hidden in her sleeve left her hand and grazed Itachi's cloak, leaving a hole. "I did it! I detected and countered your genjutsu!" She held up two fingers in victory. Just when she took a step from her position, a burning pain shot through her own body, bringing her to the ground. _

_"You overdid yourself." Itachi walked over and gently picked up his apprentice, bridal style. There was no emotion on his face when he saw her cheeks turn slightly pink despite the pain throughout her own body. However, she could sense that he was amused by her reaction to his touch._

_"P-Put me down! I don't need your help!" She finally snapped out of her trance, remembering that this person was an enemy. She struggled to get out of his hold, but failed when another jolt of pain ran down her spine. She gave into her fate and let out a small whimper, curling against his warm chest._

_"It seems like you have mastered genjutsu detection." Itachi looked down at the feather-light body in his arms and continued back to their hideout._

* * *

"Fine art is the beauty of that single fleeting moment of explosion, un!"

"Fine art is something wonderful that is left long into the future... eternal beauty."

Sakura stood at the side of the clearing as she observed the two argue. Following their statements about art, the two, once again, began their fight. Clay animals exploded as they came in contact with human-like puppets, sending dust and debris into the air. Surely, these two were both strong shinobis, worthy to learn from. Observing their movements, the kunoichi concluded that the explosive user, on many occasions, throws away strategy to show off his 'art'. In contrast, the puppeteer moves around smoothly despite his size.

The real Sasori must be hiding inside his own puppet.

"So early in the morning. These children sure are energetic." Sakura turned to see Itachi's blue-skinned partner walk towards the battlefield. She acknowledged him with a nod and turned her gaze back to the fight. "Hey, girl. I've never seen you fight before. Wanna have a friendly spar?"

"Sakura. In case you forgot my name." She said plainly, her eyes focusing on the battle in front of her. Although she would have gladly taken the offer, Itachi had reminded her numerous times to avoid giving away her abilities unless it was necessary. "And sorry, I must reject your offer."

"Scared to lose?" The shark nin mocked under his breath, turning back to the battle in front of him. It was clear that the puppeteer had the upper hand. Sure enough, Deidara soon lost, pinned to the ground by knives.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Kisame." She saw the Sharingan user appear several feet away. Without bothering to hide his hatred, the blonde glared at his new enemy. "Why don't you spar with him, Sakura."

"Then, shall we? Kisame-san?" The kunoichi smirked, itching to give this massive creature a beating for mocking her. She stood several feet away from her sparring partner and looked at him up and down. Since she hasn't seen him fight yet, it was hard to decipher what kind of moves he will use. Judging from his appearance though, she could already conclude that his nature type was water. Certainly, that gigantic sword shouldn't be overlooked either.

"Itachi-san, don't be angry if I hurt your little student here." The shark nin smirked confidently, a hand wrapped around the handle of his sword. "My Samehada is getting hungry."

Samehada. It was deemed as the most terrifying sword of the Seven Swordsman because rather than cut, it shaves and eats the opponent's chakra. Since she was mostly a close range fighter, she will have to be careful to not be touched by that thing, and make sure that it will not interfere with her techniques.

"You don't have time to think, little girl." With that, Kisame began to strike. As if throwing away their hatred for the moment, the other three watched the battle. Despite his monstrous size, his speed was impressive, Sakura noted.

"But not impressive enough." She mumbled to herself and smirked, reading his movements and evading all of his attacks effortlessly. Her hands formed seals at an insane speed, a blur to the untrained eye. The shark nin observed her seals and smirked, knowing what move was coming up. With one swift step, he jumped back to avoid the fire jutsu. But it never came. As if in slow motion, a victorious smirk crept onto Sakura's expression before her body dissipated into pastel pink flower petals.

"They suddenly stopped moving for a while, un." The blonde artist commented, watching the fight in confusion.

The shark nin cursed when his feet were suddenly shackled to the ground by thick tree roots.

"Wood element?" He mumbled, breaking free with some effort. He looked up and cursed, unable to react in time to avoid the dozens of wooden kunais coming down at him with deathly precision. He grunted in annoyance, more than pain, as several kunais embedded itself into his blue skin and managed to escape without any major injuries. "What is this odd feeling…"

Kisame's eyes widened when he was suddenly paralyzed. Deidara's jaw dropped as the massive figure dropped to his knees after a good ten minutes of not moving at all. As if coming back to his senses, the shark nin smirked. The kunoichi stood directly behind him with a kunai at his throat.

"I believe that was my win, Kisame-san." She smiled mockingly, twirling her knife around her finger before putting it back into her weapon holster.

"You've trained her well." Sasori commented and looked at the Sharingan user standing beside him. Itachi revealed no emotion to his compliment, as if it wasn't heard at all. Instead, his eyes were fixed on his apprentice.

"Not bad, little girl." Kisame finally let out a laugh, standing up. "You win. Seems like I underestimated your abilities. Genjutsu was never my type."

Sakura inwardly sighed in boredom, but felt the satisfaction of making the walking fish eat his words. "You were a good match, Kisame-san. Let's spar again another day." She said plainly, dusting off her clothes and making her way back to the hideout.

"That was it? They barely even moved!" Deidara complained at the sudden ending. "There were no explosions, un!"

"You have to learn to pick your battles, kid." The shark nin smirked and patted the blonde on the shoulder as he passed by. "I'm impressed, Itachi-san. Looks like I shouldn't take your little student there so lightly."

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents. That was a rather pathetic loss." Itachi said bluntly, following him inside. His partner only snickered in response.

After everyone went off to do their own things, Sakura tip-toed across the hallway and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a reply, she slid the door open and walked inside. Seeing her teacher standing next to the window, looking out at the blue skies, she smiled wide and practically skipped over.

"How did I do? Not too bad, right?" The kunoichi jumped on his bed and sat down cross-legged. She grinned proudly, waiting for a response. "Shows that sharky to mock me! I'm gonna turn him into a plate of sashimi next time!"

"You haven't seen half of his abilities. Don't be over-confident about your skills. You were simply lucky this time." He replied flatly without turning to look at her. Sakura pouted in response.

"Yeah yeah. I know. But still, did you see that blondie's face at when sharky fell to his knees? It was priceless." She chuckled to herself.

"A shinobi should never reveal his emotions. You never seem to listen." The Sharingan user turned his gaze towards her, giving his usual speech. She sighed in annoyance.

She sulked slightly. "Can't you get rid of that stinky expression of your's? It's a waste of your gor-... face." The kunoichi hesitated and changed her diction before she blurted out embarrassing words.

"The speed that you make hand seals is still lacking. The reason your genjutsu worked was because Kisame was careless and was tricked by your fake fire jutsu seals." Her comment was completely ignored. Sakura groaned, knowing that this was a hint for her to practice more. "I'm going on a mission."

"I knew it. Why can't I go with you..." She sulked, laying down on his bed and rolling around boredly. Knowing that it was pointless to whine, she sighed in defeat. "You owe me anko dumplings when you come back then."

"Aa."

Sakura smiled and watched as his figure disappeared out of the doorway.

* * *

_She was all alone inside this place._

_"What an idiot. Leaving me all alone." The girl smirked, peeking out of her room's door to make sure there was really no one there. "Didn't it cross his mind that I might run back to Konoha?"_

_The young girl packed her bag and made sure that she had enough supplies to last for the next week. If she ran as fast as she could, she will definitely get back to the village soon. Slinging the bag over her shoulders, she ran out of the hideout._

_Only then did she realize that she had no idea where she was._

_"I'll just run and find a town. Then ask where Konohagakure is!" She said to herself optimistically. She looked around, chose a random direction, and began running. "See you later, suckers!"_

_By the third day, her legs had given away. Her small fingers touched the chapped lips that reminded her there was no water left in the canteen. She knew that she needed to find a river fast, before her body gives out from dehydration._

_"Why aren't there any towns around..." The girl could feel the tears blurring her vision once again. She looked around at the never-ending green. "Okaa-san... I want to go home..."_

_As if the situation couldn't get worse, the young girl looked up and felt the rain drops fall onto her cheeks. Within minutes, she was drenched from head to toe, her feet sinking into the muddy ground with each step. Her salty tears mixed with the icy cold rain, and she finally collapsed into the mud._

_When she woke up, Sakura found herself where she started. She looked around the familiar plain room, wondering how she got back. She didn't have to wait long for an answer. The same pair of scarlet eyes stared at her as they neared._

_Was she going to be killed for running away?_

_"I didn't think you would run so far. Your speed and stamina increased greatly." The voice said plainly, sitting down on the edge of her bed with a small plate in his hand._

_"Y-You knew..."_

_"You were unconscious for two days. Drink some water and eat." He reached out his free hand. To her surprise, his warm hand landed on the top of her head, gently giving her a small pat. "After you finish, rest more."_

_"Why are you being so nice... You're a murderer...!" She called out as he walked away. He hesitated in his steps, but resumed walking. "You killed your whole family..."_

_"Your training will resume tomorrow morning."_

_On the wooden table laid a plate of steamy anko dumplings._

* * *

When she heard a knock on her door, Sakura quickly closed her notebook.

"Come in." She said. The door slid open, and the blonde artist walked into the room. She looked at him, confused on what he could possibly want. In the past several days, although they haven't fought or argued, there wasn't exactly any progress in their relationship. In fact, she doesn't even remember the last time she said a word to him. "Do you need something?"

Sakura watched as his footsteps stopped several feet away from her. Her gaze trailed up and paused at his troubled expression. When his pale blue eyes caught her emerald ones, his gaze shifted nervously.

What did he want?

"Ahem." Deidara cleared his throat and turned back to her with a stern expression. "You're a genjutsu type, un?"

"I'm better at countering them rather than casting." She replied truthfully.

"Uchiha Itachi's eyes… How do you defeat them… un." He asked hesitantly and carefully.

"You can't." Sakura smirked at his blunt intentions. Getting up from her seat, the kunoichi shoved her notebook into the drawer and walked towards the door. On the way, she pulled her cloak from the hook and slid it over her thin figure smoothly. "Let's talk later."

"Where are you going, un?" The blonde asked curiously, tracing her steps. Sakura paused, without turning back.

"Maybe I'll bring you a souvenir." She mumbled jokingly, ignoring his question completely. With that, her silhouette disappeared into thin air.

* * *

A/N: In case it was confusing, the italics are flashbacks~

Thank you for reading!

:)


	3. 02

**02**

How long has it been since she stepped into this warm land? Why did she suddenly feel the urge to come back?

Knowing that her mentor will be gone for a while, Sakura sped through the forests. With the information she received on the border patrols, the kunoichi easily avoided them and passed the borders. Since their current hideout was at the border of Iwagakure, it didn't take long to cross the small land of Kusagakure. Taking a deep breath of the summery air, in contrast to the cold winter air at other countries, a smile crept onto her lips. It was as if the oxygen gave her a surge of energy. She picked up her pace, a blur to the untrained eye. When she spotted the enormous red walls, Sakura masked her chakra and jumped on top of the gates with ease.

Her emerald orbs were mesmerized by the view.

In a short distance, past the colorful roofs, stood the familiar Hokage monument. She could see her favorite food stands, and the streets that were surely filled with children, running around with their paper shurikens. The kunoichi's brought her hands in front of her face, looking at her slender fingers shake. The memories of her childhood flooded her mind, a time filled with innocence.

This was the place that she had unconsciously avoided since that night.

Did three years pass so fast? For three years, has she forgotten her origins? Her prideful mother who always pressured her to study and become the best student? Her soft-hearted father who always worried about his pretty daughter getting scars from her shinobi training? She could still remember the blonde girl named Ino - the girl that made fun of her wide forehead. Of course, she could remember her first love, Sasuke-kun.

Did three years make her forget the innocent corpses laying on the streets of the Uchiha compound? As the memories rushed back, it felt as if a barrier in her mind was lifted. She could see the images clear as day, and the horror brought shivers throughout her whole body.

A sudden pang of disgust hit her like a ton of bricks.

How could she allow herself to become close to a cold-blooded murderer?

"Who's there?" Her thoughts were cut short by the yell. She looked down and quickly pinpointed the shinobi at the bottom of the walls, a hand reaching into his weapon holster. With most of her face hidden behind the high collar of her cloak, Sakura casted a genjutsu. She knocked out the guard silently and disappeared from her location, hiding amidst the thick trees in the nearby forest.

Making sure that no one came after her, the kunoichi ran off, with only one thought in mind: Answers.

* * *

_The young girl buried herself under the thick covers, her small body quivering nonstop. It was nothing like she felt before. It was like torture, even worse than her daily training sessions. It felt like hell froze over, yet she was drenched in her own sweat. Her brain screamed for sleep, but the hammer-like pounding in her head refused to let her enter dreamland. She couldn't hold back the warm salty liquid filling the rims of her tightly squeezed shut eyes. They poured freely, tickling her face and mixing with her drops of sweat._

_Was this caused by the white things falling from the sky? _

_"Sakura." The familiar deep voice said sternly. The light footsteps resonated in time with the rhythmic pounding within her skull. As the blanket was lift, the girl curled tighter into her fetus position, wincing as the biting breeze hit her fragile skin like thousands of needles. Icy cold fingers brushed the damp pink locks away from her face and placed themselves on her overheating forehead. Her body unconsciously relaxed under the cool touch. _

_The young girl finally opened her heavy eyelids cautiously, finding herself staring into deep pools of scarlet._

_"…Go away…" She managed to say, not forgetting that this was a murderer in front of her. As if he wasn't intending to stay in the first place, the Sharing user stood up and walked out of the room. She buried herself under the thick blankets once again, closing her eyes in attempt to rest, hoping that these torturous symptoms will go away soon._

_As if waking up from a nightmare, the young girl's eyes snapped open. She squinted at the sudden intake of light, letting her vision slowly regain itself. She pushed up her weak body, and watched in confusion as a damp towel fell from her forehead onto her lap. Looking around, she realized that she was in different clothing. They were obviously too big for her, since merely the shirt went down to her thighs._

_There was only one other person in this place._

_At the thought, all the blood drained from her face before coming back and turning her into a shade that matched her bright pink locks. Ignoring the dizziness from standing up suddenly, the girl ran into the Sharingan user's room, only to find the place empty. After more searching, she found that she was inside the hideout by herself._

_"Where did he go..." Unconsciously, a frown crept onto her lips, wondering whether he had abandoned her here. Her small feet carried her into the kitchen, where several plates were covered. Her eyes sparked at the sight, discovering her unknown hunger. "Itadakimaaaasu!" The plates were emptied within minutes, so fast that she could barely remember what she had ate. The kunoichi leaned back on the wooden chair and patted her stomach in satisfactory. When she felt a chilly breeze make its way to the kitchen, she jumped off the chair to find him._

_Without speaking a word, he walked over and placed a frozen hand against her forehead. "Drink this and wear these from now on." Itachi placed a bottle along with a set of neatly folded clothes and a cream white cloak on the kitchen table. _

_"What are the white things covering the ground? It's really beautiful." The young girl asked, looking out the window while opening the bottle and sniffing it. She drew her head back at the revolting smell._

_"It is called snow." He answered simply, looking out the same direction as she. _

_"Snow…" She repeated the word hesitantly. Holding her small nose shut with two fingers, she drank the whole bottle without complaint. _

_Somehow, the bitter medicine left a sweet aftertaste in her mouth._

_She grinned widely, feeling a sense of warmth in her stomach. Was this the effect of the medicine?_

_"Itachi… san. Arigatou." She turned around and smiled, only to find him already gone._

* * *

Was that when she started to forget that this person was a cold-blooded murderer? Was that when she started to get used to his company? The kunoichi twirled her pen between her fingers.

"Uchiha Itachi's most powerful genjutsu is called Tsukuyomi. He performs it using his Mangekyou Sharingan. Even if you manage to combat other genjutsu, this one is impossible." Sakura explained, snapping out of her sudden memory and finishing the eye sketch in her notebook. She added the pin wheel shaped pupils into the eye and stared at it as if she was looking at the real thing. "The key to fighting his eyes is to not look into them. Once you're caught, it's over."

The blonde artist sat next to the desk, leaning against it with an arm plopping up his head and looking at the drawing intently.

"Why did you suddenly decide to tell me all this? I thought you were on his side, un." Deidara mumbled.

"Don't get the wrong idea. You will never beat him even if I give you all this information." The kunoichi replied plainly with slight mockery. He sent her a glare, but there was no menacing intent behind it. "I was just curious…" She trailed off, receiving a confused look from the blonde.

…_whether anyone could defeat this perfect shinobi._

"Deidara." The voice cut off their conversation. At the door was the puppet master, his wooden face staring at the two. "It's time to leave."

"We're leaving Sakura here alone, un?" Deidara asked, getting up from his seat.

"You talk as if I need protection. Worry about yourself first. I hope you survive long enough for us to meet again." She said bitterly, followed by a mocking smirk. "Sasori-san, it was nice meeting you too."

Although the words were unspoken, Sakura knew that she and the other two members became closer over the past week. They weren't friends, but certainly not bitter strangers like a week ago. In an organization like Akatsuki, this much was already considered a "close bond". She stood at the end of the hallway, watching the two walk casually out from the other end, without sparing a look back at her.

For all she knew, this could be the last time they meet. In this place, life and death did not have a big difference.

* * *

_The young girl's eyes widened as she saw the katana. She could see the silver blade glistening in the moonlight, dripping with the blood of those it slaughtered. One by one. The screams got louder, and louder._

_The sword triggered the horrifying memories._

_"Stay away…" She back away, shaking in fear uncontrollably. She clutched her head with her sweaty hands, attempting to shake away the nightmare. _

_"Sakura." The voice called out to her, the katana still held in one hand while the other reached out to touch her shoulder._

_"You killed them… all of them… and Sasuke-kun… GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MURDERER!" She screamed as she caught sight of his scarlet eyes, trying to escape from his grasp. _

_"Look at me." The moment she looked into his eyes, her own rolled back and closed, falling limp into his arms. _

_When she woke up from the ordeal the next morning, her mind had been calm. Rather, she couldn't even quite remember why she had reacted so violently._

* * *

Sakura jolt up at the sounds of footsteps. As a natural reflex, a hand reached into her weapon holster. She sat silently, analyzing the sounds. There were two pairs of footsteps, one obviously heavier than the other. Relaxing at the familiar rhythms of the footsteps, she stood from her futon and slid open the shoji door. Her emerald orbs locked with the scarlet ones, completely overlooking his partner walking behind him.

"Stayed up to welcome us? How sweet." The shark non teased with his trademark toothy smirk. As if comprehending the tensing atmosphere, he walked into his room without another word.

Itachi, on the other hand, passed by the kunoichi and walked into his room. She followed, knowing he was expecting her to. Sakura closed the door behind her, but her gaze never leaving the figure that sat himself down in the wooden chair. Placing a cardboard container on the table, the aroma of anko dumplings hit her nostrils. However, tonight, the smell disgusted her.

It reminded her of all those times that she felt happy to receive these gifts from hands filled with blood.

"Did you enjoy your trip back to Konoha?" Sakura stiffened at the question. "If you want to kill me, you should have greeted me like your normally would and do it when I am off guard. You will not be able to win by emitting such a murderous intent so bluntly."

"…I want to know why you killed them..." She mustered the courage to ask, knowing that he understood who _them_ was. After all this time, she felt as if she had forgotten about the reason she decided to stay with him in the first place.

She wanted to avenge Sasuke and his family.

"To test my capabilities." He answered with no signs of remorse. Her stomach churned from the disappointment - she had hoped there was a reason. How could she think there was a justified reason for a person to murder his whole family?

"Just for that reason, you killed them? Even the innocent children? Sasuke-kun…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the last scene she saw in this Tsukuyomi that night. The handsome boy who bursted through the doors. The look of pure horror on his face when he saw the couple laying in their pools of crimson blood.

"My pathetic little brother was not worth killing." He muttered.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips, until the words fully processed into her mind.

How could she not have guessed? They looked so similar. It never crossed her mind that this murderer was so closely related to her first love. Now that she think back, how could she have forgotten the times when the teachers would compliment Sasuke, but never failing to mention "his brother", the prodigy who graduated from the academy at the mere age of seven and became an ANBU captain at thirteen.

Uchiha Itachi was every girl's fantasy, every boy's dream.

"Brother…?" Even though she knew now, a small part of her wanted to deny the fact that they were related. Itachi only looked at her, silently confirming the fact. The kunoichi's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white and her hands shaking from anger.

"Go to sleep." He got up from his seat, deciding that this would be the end of their conversation. Overtaken by the surge of anger, a kunai left the her hand. As if in slow motion, she watched as Itachi stood in place, unmoving, and the blade grazed his arm. His shirt sleeve ripped open. The dark blue fabric soon turned a deep purple color. Her eyes widened as the warm liquid made a trail down his porcelain skin, staining the wooden floor with drops of red.

"W-Why didn't you dodge… You could've easily…" Sakura asked in confusion, thrown out of her rage at the sight of his blood.

Why was she so nervous for wounding him?

"Seems like you will need more training. This cut is not enough to kill. You need to aim for the vital spots. Here, here, and…" With each 'here', his fingers pointed to his forehead, then his jugular, and finally stopped at his chest. "Here."

The kunoichi hardened herself and sent him one last glare, walking out of his room with a slam on the door.

* * *

_"Great job, Sasuke!" The teacher ruffled the young boy's raven hair. "You're the top of the class again." _

_The pink-haired girl watched silently from a distance and smiled, proud that her crush once again ranked first on the exams. She was, of course, close behind him at second. Surely, she will be getting a scolding from mother when she gets home, for making a small mistake on one question. But it didn't matter. She was happy that her name appeared next to the boy's on the black board. _

_It made her feel closer to him._

_"I'm not surprised though. Nothing less expected from the little brother of a prodigy. You have to work hard to catch up!" For a second, she caught a frown on the boy's face, but it soon turned into a proud grin. She was angry at the teacher for always comparing him to his brother._

_Just how amazing could that annoying brother of his be anyway? Even though she's never met his brother, she could already feel that it wasn't someone she would like. _

_Sasuke-kun is __**much**__ cuter!_

* * *

A/N: Dumdum... I guess this is where the conflicts finally begin. Hehe~

Thank you for reading! :)


	4. 03

**03**

The walk felt unusually long. The two Akatsuki members and their companion strolled silently through the dark forest. The only kunoichi of the group looked around at the giant mushrooms growing on the thick tree trunks, figuring that they were now in Kusagakure. This could only mean that they were getting closer to Konoha. Her eyes trailed over to the two men walking in front of her, stopping at the smaller man's right arm.

_Did the wound heal?_

Sakura frowned at her thoughts, knowing that she shouldn't be worrying about him, especially after their confrontation several days ago. He proved himself, once again, to be a cold-blooded murderer. To test his capabilities? She wanted to snort at the thought.

How can anyone with an ounce of sanity kill their whole clan just to prove that he can?

What confused her was the fact that after three years with him, Itachi did not seem to be that kind of person. Although his words were short and his face was emotionless, there was an unexplained warmth beneath his cold exterior.

Despite the harsh training, he never seized to protect her and care for her, albeit in his expressionless way. She could vividly remember all those times that he carried her in his thin yet toned arms after she pushed herself to her limits. The times when she would come back from training and find a cup of warm tea on her desk. Ah, and of course she can't forget how he never once forgets to bring her anko dumplings and other treats when he comes back from a mission. Sometimes, he would even show the slightest smile.

So why are his words so different from his acts?

"There is a river nearby. Let's stop there for the day." Speaking of the devil. His words brought Sakura out of her trance. The group turned and followed their unofficial leader, stopping near a clear stream with the sound of waterfall not far away.

The kunoichi looked at the sky, its usual blue turning shades of orange. She bent down next to the stream, splashing the refreshing water onto her face. Seeing the fish squirming away from her, a growl from her stomach told her that it was time for dinner. Taking several kunais from her pouch, Sakura was about to throw them, but got cut off by a gigantic sword swinging down in front of her. She looked over at the shark nin and saw him giving her a trademark sinister smirk.

"Leave this to the master, girl." He made seals with his rough blue hands and a tornado-like swirl formed on top of the water. The kunoichi watched intently as the fish were swung out of the water and landed next to the shark nin. A small pile of fish jumped desperately next to his feet by the time the jutsu ended. She turned away when the fish were ruthlessly killed, seeing that the silent Sharingan user already made a fire. "Why don't you cook them." Sakura watched as the cleanly gutted fish were dumped in front of her. Without another word, she poked sticks through them and set them neatly over the fire. "It's not so bad to have a girl around."

The rest of the night was spent in silence, with occasional small talk initiated by the shark nin. After a while, he seemed to have leaned against a tree and fell into a light slumber. The remaining two stayed awake, one keeping watch of their surroundings while the other simply plagued by a case of insomnia.

Finally reaching a point of frustration with her inability to sleep, the kunoichi stood up from her resting spot and sat down next to the clear river. She slipped her slender fingers into the stream, a small shiver running down her spine when the chilled water ran past her hand like silk. The weather was foggy and cold, adding to the iciness of her feelings at this moment.

Cautiously, Sakura turned her head and looked up at the tree several feet away, where the object of her thoughts sat on a thick lone branch. His black locks wavered in the breeze, framing his small face. She quickly turned her head to another direction when he suddenly jumped down and began walking upstream. She guessed that he was going to bathe and shook away the inappropriate thoughts that came to mind.

Did she just fantasize him shirtless, bathing under a waterfall? No way.

"It seems like they're early." She flinched in surprise when Kisame suddenly stood up from his slumber and wrapped a large hand around the hilt of his Samehada, his lips curling into an excited and sinister smirk. Sakura was confused for a bit, before sensing the very faint chakras in the distance. She stood up and glanced at the shark nin, knowing that she had underestimated his abilities.

From the other side, she saw Itachi calmly walk back, his hair slightly damp while water still dripped from his bangs. Even behind his emotionless mask, she could tell that he was mildly irritated by the incoming intruders.

"Sakura." His smooth voice called out to her for the first time since their last conversation. She gave him her attention. "Stand back."

"…I'm not weak…" She mumbled, strangely offended by his command. He gave her a stern look in reply, but that didn't mean she would back off. Sakura sent him a look of her own.

Their attackers were coming closer. Whoever they were, it seems like they weren't extremely skilled. Their chakras were not well-masked, and their heavy footsteps gave them away immediately.

"You're a burden." The words shot through her like a bullet. Sakura stood there, frozen in confusion. She watched dumbfounded as the fight already started.

There were four… medical nins? They bore no headband to show what village they were from, and their faces were covered with surgical masks. Soon, one collapsed onto the ground, followed by another. She guessed they must've looked into those scarlet eyes. On the other hand, Kisame easily blocked the weapons thrown at him and knocked down the other two. Itachi turned away from the scene, without sparing her a glance, while his partner tied their attackers to a tree.

"Let's leave after I wash off this blood. Seems like my Samehada had too much fun." The shark nin walked upstream, preparing for a bath of his own.

Sakura, hurt by the harsh words, walked towards the Uchiha with an angry expression, letting her blank mask slip now that Kisame was gone. "What you said earlier. You know my abilities better than anyone. I could've taken down those guys as well."

"Never underestimate your opponents." Was his reply. The _usual_ reply. It only fueled her anger.

He didn't even bother to look at her. His eyes were fixed on their unconscious intruders.

"If you think I'm a burden, for three whole years, why did you keep me around? Why didn't you just kill me? Shouldn't make a difference since you're a cold-blooded murderer who killed your whole clan." His gaze hardened at her words. If anything, she would've thought that there was a tint of sadness in his eyes. Sakura shook it off as a figment of her imagination. After all, a person like him wouldn't know what the word 'remorse' means.

"That's enough, Sakura." He halted her outburst. "You are causing unnecessary commotion. A shinobi should never reveal his emotions."

"Why? Did I hit a sore spot? I guess at least you know that you're a monster. Someone like you doesn't deserve to live." She spat out, then immediately regretted the words that came out of her mouth. She didn't know how their conversation turned into this, but it was too late to take back her words now. Plus, it wasn't like she was wrong.

So why does she feel so guilty?

Sakura's eyes widened when she heard a sound from their tied up intruders. She turned and saw a senbon inches away from her face. It was too late to dodge. Within a blink, the senbon was gone and a blood-curdling scream filled the area, before the attacker dropped his head, dead. The kunoichi shakily looked over to Itachi, his eyes reverting from Mangekyou Sharingan to his pools of ebony.

He used Tsukuyomi.

If she didn't know his character, she would have guessed that he attacked on impulse.

But Uchiha Itachi never does anything _impulsively_. It simply did not match his personality.

"What happened?" Kisame came back into the clearing, looking between his partner and the attackers. He walked over to the limp body, and checked his breath. "You killed him. We weren't suppose to kill them, Itachi-san."

"The senbon…" She mumbled in confusion, looking at the thin needle stuck in his shoulder. "It's probably poisonous. Hurry and take it ou-"

"Go." Itachi said, ignoring both their words. She gave him a confused look. "Go back to Konoha."

"W-What…"

"Why did you think I did not allow you to follow us on missions? You are a burden to us. You have proven again and again that you are useless. Under the conditions that you will not give away any information regarding Akatsuki, I will allow you leave." He sent her a stern look when she didn't move an inch. "Leave now, or die by my hands."

What was he saying? She was no longer of use to him? So he is going to throw her away like trash?

"Kill me then." Sakura challenged with a glare, not believing a word that he was saying.

He was making excuses and hiding something from her, and she was sure of it. She hasn't spent the past three years analyzing this man for nothing. He was, in fact, a peaceful shinobi. He did not participate in battles on a normal basis, and made sure his partner did not cause too much bloodshed.

Before she had the time to react, a kunai came at lightning speed. Had it been anyone else, death was guaranteed. However, with her speed training in the past three years, the shark knife only managed to pierce her shoulder, leaving a nasty gash that soon covered her red top with equally red blood.

That kunai attack held the intent to kill.

Itachi wasn't joking when he said he will kill her.

Without moving from his position the slightest, Itachi sent shurikens in her direction. Sakura smirked at his naivete, dodging the shurikens with ease. However, her ears picked up the sounds of the twirling weapons and saw a glint of the wires under the moonlight. She cursed and turned around, managing to dodge some of the shurikens while the rest left cuts on her arms and legs.

"You are weak." The Sharingan user commented. "You are no match against these eyes."

The kunoichi sent him a hateful glare. It was unusually that he would boast about his eyes, but she figured that these weren't usual circumstances. She winced as she moved her limbs, seeing the nasty wounds and blood staining her clothes. He didn't even move from his position, yet she was already all cut up.

In a fit of anger, she pulled out kunais and threw them in different directions simultaneously. She stared at his feet to predict his next movement while her hand rested on a poisonous kunai in her holster. However, the kunais never hit their target and his feet never left their place. Instead, they changed direction and came at her instead. She bit back a scream and let out a whimper as the kunais embedded themselves into her body.

How was this possible?

"KAI!" The kunoichi yelled when she realized what went wrong at that moment. She was caught in his genjutsu. The knives on her body disappeared, but the stinging pain remained and the blood dripped from her previous wounds. Still standing in the same location, he looked at her with distaste.

"Your anger and frustration blinded your judgments." He muttered boredly. "If you want to kill me, then run. At this level, you are pathetic, Sakura. Seems like I have wasted my time all these years."

Was it hurt? Anger? Betrayal? The kunoichi looked at the man with such emotions in her large emerald eyes. Why was he being so cruel? Why was he chasing her away?

But most of all, why was she hesitating his offer? Shouldn't she grasp this opportunity?

With one last glance towards the person she spent the past three years of her life with, Sakura forced herself to her feet and took off. The drops of her blood stained the ground, evidence of her anger and betrayal.

Why was she reluctant to leave that cold-blooded murderer?

"That was oddly out of character of you." The shark nin finally commented after Sakura left, witnessing the whole ordeal silently. He looked up at the pitch black sky. "If you want to go after her, you should soon. I heard that this forest is pretty dangerous, especially at night." He looked back at his partner, whose eyes stared in the direction that she left.

"I will report to the leader about the failed mission." The Sharingan user seemed to have finally snapped out of his trance. He looked down at his shoulder and carelessly pulled out the senbon, throwing it to the ground. A pang of nausea hit his senses, worse than anything he's felt before. An unstoppable cough escaped his lips, and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

"Seems like the senbon was poisoned. I never thought I'd live to see you getting hurt, Itachi-san." Kisame commented with a snicker, but inwardly confused at how he could've been injured. In their time together as partners, even S-class criminals couldn't make a scratch on him. Yet, a mere rogue nin managed to hit him so precisely? There was no explanation other than that he deliberately took the hit.

_To protect that little kunoichi, perhaps?_

Despite his curiosity, the shark nin didn't question.

* * *

_The young girl could still remember the first time she met Itachi's temporary partner. His extremely white skin matched with his pitch black hair reminded her of the ghosts you see in your nightmares. A chill ran down her spine when she saw his elongated tongue stick out to lick his lips. Unconsciously, her small hands clutched Itachi's cloak, and her body inched behind him. _

_This person reminded her of a snake._

_"Seems like you keep a little toy around. She seems cute enough to eat." The man who identified himself as Orochimaru said. He gazed at her with a sinister smile, and licked his lips once again. _

_That night, at training, Itachi was extra harsh._

_"Never reveal your emotions to your enemies. If the enemy is frightening, you will not show that you are frightened. If you are low on chakra, you will stand as if you are perfectly fine. A battle is not all about physical abilities, but also mental. Your emotions will become your weakness." He said. In less than a blink, the young girl saw kunais heading her direction. Her eyes widened, thinking of how to dodge them. "Even if you are surprised, act calmly." The kunais disappeared from her sight and ended up in the hands of her teacher. She let out a sigh of relief. _

_Was he angry at her for being so scared earlier?_

_"A slip of emotion can lead to your death, or your comrade's death. Don't ever let your guard down."_

* * *

A/N: From this point on, you'll realize that the story will follow closely to the events of the actual manga/anime. Before you continue, I highly recommend that you've read up to Chapter 403 of the manga or Episode 141 of Naruto Shippuden!_  
_

Thank you for reading!

:)


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